Trial to begin in Jane 'Cordova' Doe slaying case

LAS VEGAS - Jury selection is set to begin Thursday in the death penalty trial of a California ex-convict and the mother of a 3-year-old girl found dead in a Las Vegas trash bin in January 2006. The slaying of Crystal Figueroa became widely known as the Jane "Cordova" Doe case during the six weeks authorities searched for her identity. The mother, 26-year-old Gladys Perez, and 30-year-old Marc Anthony Colon have each pleaded not guilty to felony murder and child abuse and neglect charges. Prosecutors want the death penalty for Colon. He's accused of beating the child during a stop in Las Vegas while the couple and their four children traveled from California to Minnesota. Perez could face life in prison without parole. A service of the Associated... [read full story]